Nine Jewish groups have called on U.S. President Donald Trump to stop Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, newly re-elected to a record fifth term, from carrying out his campaign promise to annex parts of the West Bank.
“We believe that it will lead to greater conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, severely undermine, if not entirely eradicate, the successful security coordination between the State of Israel and the Palestinian Authority, and galvanize efforts such as the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement that are intended to isolate and delegitimize Israel,” stated the letter released on Friday, acquired by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “It will create intense divisions in the United States and make unwavering support for Israel and its security far more difficult to maintain.”
The signees were the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the Union for Reform Judaism, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, MERCAZ, the Rabbinical Assembly, the Anti-Defamation League, Ameinu, the National Council of Jewish Women and the Israel Policy Forum.
All but the Israel Policy Forum belong to the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, whose executive vice chairman, Malcolm Hoenlein, did not respond to a request for comment.
The Trump administration invited Jewish leaders for a briefing next Tuesday, reported JTA. The number of leaders invited, the issues expected to be discussed and which administration officials would participate all were not specified.